Improv tattoos: this guy comes up with a tat’s design while making it

A tattoo is a lifelong commitment, that’s why people think long and hard – at least those who are sober – on their tat’s design before getting inked. But would you be willing to get a tattoo without knowing beforehand what it will look like?

Amsterdam-based tattoo artist Jay Freestyle – as the last name implies – loves to improvise on his tattoo designs while he inks his clients. His motto even reads, ‘Give me a piece of your skin and I’ll give you a piece of my soul’. Suspenseful stuff right there. It must be a nail-biting yet rewarding experience to sit there getting a mystery tattoo and eventually finding beautiful watercolor-inspired art on your skin when the process is done.

I have been tattooing for more than 5 years, but I consider the first 4 years my trial & error phase. The style I am developing now, I have only been practicing for over a year.

How’d you discover your own personal technique of doing it freestyle?

I’m a self-taught artist, so from the very beginning I had no outside influence or guidance. It sounds stupid, but it basically originated from not being able to apply a stencil correctly, whereby I had to rely on drawing directly onto the person. It became normal for me to just draw on people, I find it easier to get the right flow & fit in this way. I like the spontaneity of it all, it makes the whole process more exciting to not know what the end result is going to be. Of course, not everything is done freehand but the majority is.

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